


Best Friend

by Subby_star



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Fiveshot, Homeless Naruto, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Pet, Short Story, THIS STORY IS SAD, cute naruto, kurama is a fox and he loves naruto, kurama is better than humans, leaf village doesnt deserve naruto, maltreated naruto, pure angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:53:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28837350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subby_star/pseuds/Subby_star
Summary: A friend is found in the most unlikely places.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	1. I

"Hey! You thieving little brat, I would show you to steal from me!"

His small hands clutched the piece of meat tightly as he made a mad dash for the alleyway from which he came. The man from which he stole from chased after him after leaving his store in good hands. It was only a matter of time till the shop owner caught up to him as his legs were short compared to the man's long legs.

Cruelly grabbing the thin boy by the scruff of his worn out over sized shirt, he dragged him across the floor and out of the alleyway to where people gathered and could see him.

"It is the demon again."

"What did that filth do this time?"

"He deserves it for worshipping the devil."

The whispers of the market women filled the air. None of them moved as much as a muscle to stop the man from hitting the child. In fact, more men joined hands in beating him up. The young child, who looked four but was actually six years old, wondered why everybody hated him. He used to believe it was normal for every child to be beaten for that was all he knew. That notion changed when he witnessed a mother caressing her son with all the love in the world.

He grew up living on the streets as he was kicked out of the orphanage when he was four years old. His blonde locks soiled and turned brown with dried mud and filth, a condition his natural tanned skin suffered also, and his brilliant blue eyes lost their glow. Many children would get adopted at the orphanage but there was no hope for a family for him.

His big orange shirt was something he found in a rich man's rubbish bin where he was chased away and regarded as filth. Now the shirt was nothing but a rag adorned with holes from wear and tear. However, it was the only source of warmth he had other than newspapers. The young one learned early to fend for himself. More often than not, he starved for days until he found some food out of bins and fell ill many times until he gained resistance to the filth.

Loud and pleading cries echoed through the air, the boy begged for the pain to stop but they revelled in his agony. New bruises marked his skin and additional cuts joined the lacerations on his bony frame. What the boy did not know was that his parents had died on the day of his birth in a fire that only he survived. The authorities put him in the orphanage but the locals did not like the news of that, after all only a newborn survived in a fire that killed tens of people. It was only plausible that he was a demon, a demon that fed on flesh and blood, a demon that should not live. He was suffering for what he knew nothing about.

The beatings finally stopped. The young one lay on the gravel floor gasping for air as the pain was unbearable for his body. Spit landed on his face as the men hissed and walked away, proud of their handwork. Passersby gave him occasional kicks as he shuddered. Blood stained his dirty shirt which was ruffled up, revealing his naked body.

He watched with half lidded eyes as the meat he snagged got kicked around by feet and stood up weakly to pick it up. Enduring the pain, he ran away from the market and into the alleyway. Turning and walking through alleys, he stopped at the familiar carton mat he had set for himself in between two closely built houses. Nobody noticed him there and the roofs of the houses kept rain from battering his mat. He sat with a light whimper and shook the sand off the soiled meat.

There was water from yesterday's rain to drink. He devoured the meat with much aggression and ignored the sand and stones in it. He did not even relish the taste as he chomped down on the bones.

This was his first meal in two days.


	2. II

"Mother, I want this one! And this one! Gimme this one!"

Blue eyes watched with fascination and curiosity as a girl dragged her mother through the numerous stalls of the market place. Her mother bought everything she asked, even the fascinating masks that caught his attention. He was supposed to stay hidden but he wanted to see the masks from up close. That turned out to be a wrong choice as the shop owner grabbed him roughly.

"You! Are you stealing from me?!" The man bellowed.

"N-no, j-just looking!" He defended himself with his little speech skills.

"You want this one, right?!" The shop owner angrily snatched the wooden fox mask he was looking at from the stall and threw it smack on the boy's head. He exclaimed but nobody cared. "Take it and get out!" The shop owner shoved him away and sprinkled himself with kidney beans to get rid of the bad spirit.

"Look, it is _that_ boy again."

"Look at _that_ , always causing trouble!"

"What are the authorities thinking, letting _that_ to roam the streets?!"

The whispers were overwhelming and the looks of disdain that were cast his way were nauseating. In a heated moment, the boy picked the mask and threw it on the floor. "I AM NOT A _THAT_!" He yelled, startling everyone, and ran as fast as his legs could carry away from the choking crowd.

Once at the safety of his abode, he curled himself up into a ball. The memories of the girl shouting for her mother came back to him as he sat.

"Mother." He whispered, testing the word on his tongue. The concept felt strange to him. What was it like to have a mother? Father? Friend? What was it like?

He uncurled himself when he thought he heard something. Sure enough, the sound came again. It was soft and laboured, yet a little high pitched like a dog's whimper. The boy stood up from his mat and walked outside his territory towards where the noise came from. The sounds led to a bin. Behind it was a creature with brilliant red-orange fur. It had a black muzzle and fur around its eyes and at the insides of its ears. It was a fox. An injured fox. A nail stuck out from one of its paws which had Naruto concerned.

The whimpering sounds morphed into low warning growls as the boy reached for it. "Not gonna hurt you." He soothed and smiled when he successfully patted the fox's head. The growls decreased into a contented purr and the fox leaned into the small hand on its fur.

The boy eyed the nail in the fox's paw and decided to pull it out. The fox gave a slight yelp and whimpered as the boy soothed the paw by blowing air unto it. "You hungry?" He asked. Without waiting for a reply, which he was sure the fox could not give, he carried the vulpine to his mat and laid it down gently. He gave the fox the fish he found last night and the little amount of water he had left.

He watched as the fox ate and drank. "No more." He spoke when the fox looked at him expecting more. "I am Naruto. You?" The fox wagged its tail and licked the boy, Naruto's chin which caused the boy to release a rich laughter. "Kurama. Your name, Kurama." Naruto smiled.

Kurama let out a yawn and curled up to Naruto. The golden boy lied down and curled against Kurama as his eyes closed in sleep. Newspapers forgotten, that was the warmest sleep Naruto ever had.

"Kurama?" Naruto called. He woke up in the morning to find his warmth gone. Naruto searched everywhere for his companion for a week now but could not find any trace of the fox.

Naruto walked through the alleys calling for Kurama and hoping that he would hear the bark of the fox and see his orange-red fur but there was nothing but the angry shouts of some people. It was evening time when Naruto returned to his den. Maybe Kurama went away after completely healing. That thought saddened Naruto and brought tears to his eyes for once again, he was left alone.


	3. III

"Kurama!" Naruto yelled excitedly when he felt the familiar warmth of the fox beside him. He was so overwhelmed with happiness and hugged the fox tightly, crying salty tears into the brilliant fur. "Thought you leave me." Naruto whimpered.

Kurama let out a low whine as Naruto released him. He reached up to lap at the salty tears that leaked from his master's eyes and nudged a piece of meat forward. Only then did Naruto notice the cooked chicken lap on his mat.

"Me?" Naruto asked. Kurama made a soft crooning noise and nudged it forward again. Naruto smiled and nibbled on the meat until he was half done and gave the left over to Kurama. The fox growled at a confused Naruto and nudged the meat forward again. "No. Kurama eat." Naruto said.

Kurama growled again, harsher this time until Naruto got the memo and ate the meat. Only then did the fox let out a contented purr. Just like this, Kurama stole food items from the market and brought it home for Naruto to eat. Being a fox, it was easier to escape the shop owners. He provided warmth for Naruto during cold nights with his fur and a companion for his master on lonely days.

To Naruto, the orange-red fox was a parent, a sibling and a best friend. Months passed and the two grew even closer than ever. Kurama fended Naruto from the stray dogs of the neighborhood and some people who tried to hurt Naruto. Sometimes, the fox led him to the forest surrounding the village and took him to a stream where Naruto washed up and drank from.

They played in the water and hunted wild berries for Naruto and birds for Kurama. After they were done, they would lay on the grass and bask in the sun for some time. Those were the times that Naruto would confess to Kurama, "You are my very best friend, Kurama."

And Kurama would reply with a purr and lick his face while his tail wagged. The two were inseparable and for Naruto, his wish to not be alone had come true.

Kurama went out again today to hunt for his master. Naruto was the nicest. Other humans tried to hurt him with those scary sticks that produced loud bang noises, they called them guns, but Naruto healed him and fed him. He loved his master so much that the thought of him made his bushy tail wag. 

Kurama locked his eyes on a nice piece of grilled fish displayed on a stall. Humans came and went from the fish stall but Kurama's target remained. He looked around and when he saw that the coast was clear, he jumped out of the shadows and in a neat swoop, took the fish.

"It's that fox again! Grab it!"

Humans appeared with sticks and ropes to catch him with but Kurama was sneaky and clever. With his wittiness, he out smarted the men and made his escape only to find his way blocked.

"Don't let it go!"

"Capture it!"

"Make sure it does not escape!"

The men circled Kurama and closed in on him slowly. Oh no. He needed to go home to Naruto. His master was hungry, he needed to get home to Naruto! With a snarl, he leaped on one man and used his startled state as an opportunity to escape in between his legs.

Kurama raced for the alleyway with all his fox might, his vulpine brain repeating Naruto Naruto Naruto at every heave.

A loud bang sounded off from one of the men and Kurama stopped running.

Naruto's head snapped upwards as he felt a harsh jerk in his heart muscles. He clutched his shirt right above his aching heart and stood up. With trembling legs, he ran as fast as his short legs could carry. 'Kurama!'

Naruto skidded to a halt when he saw the familiar orange-red of his fox lying sprawled on the gravel floor in a pool of his own blood. Naruto's heart clenched as a man approached Kurama. The fox let out a whine as he looked up at Naruto.

"KURAMA!" Naruto screamed and ran towards the weak fox. He stepped in front of it and extended his arms wide, glaring at the man with the gun with tears pooling his blue eyes. "LEAVE KURAMA ALONE!" 

People turned to stare at the scene.

"So the fox is yours huh? You rodent!" The man sent a kick to Naruto's torso, causing the boy to fly backwards and crash beside Kurama. The fox, angered by the action stood up despite the pain and bit the man's hand so hard with his teeth. "Aah! You stupid dog!" The man yelled and used the bottom of his gun to hit Kurama several times on his head.

"LEAVE KURAMA!" Naruto yelled and sank his own teeth deep into the man's sides, causing him to yell and thrash around as he tried to get the two off him. He finally succeeded and flung both to the floor.

"You demon! I will teach you-!" He trailed off when Naruto stood in front of Kurama with his arms stretched in a protective stance. Fire danced in the boy's eyes as he determined that nobody would harm his fox any longer.


	4. IV

"Oh? This would be good."

The man sneered and grabbed Naruto by his shirt. The fiery look in Naruto's eyes refused to relent as he decided that he would protect Kurama. His face snapped sideward as a sharp slap made impact on his whiskered cheek, leaving five angry bruises on its wake. Naruto grunted but didn't drop the look which only fuelled the man's irritation.

"Fifth! Garbage! Demon! Rubbish!" He said each time he hit Naruto. Kurama whimpered weakly at his master's strangled cries and pained yells. The man did not relent from kicking, beating and punching Naruto until the boy was blue and black. Purple and green bruises marred his skin as he was too weak to move. Spit poured on him as the man left.

A drop of rain landed on the floor followed by successive raindrops which soon turned to a slightly heavy shower. Naruto and Kurama were left in the street, nobody cared. The boy crawled weakly towards his fox ignoring the cold seeping into his weak system. "Ku-Ku-r-ra-m-ma." Naruto gasped.

The fox whined and nudged something forward. Upon checking it, Naruto found out that it was grilled fish now soaked with mud water. It was his supposed meal for the day. Tears fell freely from Naruto's eyes as he sniffed. "No. Not hungry. Kurama need doctor." Naruto sobbed and lifted the fox in his arms with all of his strength.

He could not stop the blood that flowed from the bullet wound and head wound and it made Naruto cry. The young boy reached the animal doctor's clinic and entered but was stopped immediately. " Get away from here, evil spirit fox!"

"P-please! Help Kurama, please!" Naruto begged but all he got was a bag of salt raining down on him. He shrieked in pain as the salt stung his injuries. Kurama whimpered and thrashed as the salt also touched him. If the animal doctor refused, then Naruto could carry Kurama to the general hospital.

"Stay away you filth! I don't want you inflicting this place with your diseases!"

Naruto was thrown out into the harsh rain with Kurama. The boy scurried up to his feet and tried to beg the woman in charge of the hospital again. "P-please! Ku-Kurama, save Kurama!" He begged, pointing to the whimpering creature but all he got was a kick to his torso.

Naruto was sprawled on the floor beside Kurama. The cold rain soaked into their skin, eliciting shivers and shudders from the two. "Ku-ra-ma." Naruto whispered weakly. He pulled himself to his feet and carried the fox, grunting at the weight, around the village looking for anybody at all that will help.

"I said go away you demon!"

A loud slam.

"I will shoot you if you come here again, God help me I would!"

A rain of kidney beans which dug into his fragile skin.

"Get those filthy creatures out of my property!"

They were thrown out into the rain.

"Please! Anybody, save Kurama! Me anything! Do anything! Please!" He begged to no avail. He was sneered at, kicked and cursed at every turn.

Naruto held Kurama close to his chest protectively as he made his way to one last place. It was the manor of a rich noble lady who just moved to their village. He had heard rumours of her being a doctor and he hoped and prayed to God that she would help him.

The boy, whose skin and hair were now caked in mud and blood, drawled to the big house. The guards on duty saw him approaching and stopped him at once, nose wrinkling in disgust at the dirty lowlife before him. "Hey you! Get out of here dirt, trash like you can't be here."

"Please, lady Tsunade...save Kurama, please!" Naruto begged.

"You want to see Lady Tsunade?! Why would she want to see such filth as you are?! Scram before I lose my temper!" The man bellowed.

Naruto dropped Kurama on the wet floor and got on his knees. Rubbing his small wet hands together profusely in a begging motion, he pleaded with hot tears streaming from his eyes that he should be allowed to see Lady Tsunade.

"Please! Pease!" Naruto begged with loud tears. "Kurama is friend, will die, save Kurama, only friend! Please!"

But the man was as heartless as they came. Annoyed at the human rubbish that was in front of him, he punched the boy and kicked him. The wind was knocked out of Naruto but he held on and continued begging. His vision was dimming out and his body was becoming numb because of the cold and pain.

He heard Kurama whine and whimper weakly which spurred him on. "Please," he whispered half close to unconsciousness. 

"Save Kura-ma."


	5. V

Tsunade was on the porch listening to the sound of the rain and watching as blue and purple flashes displayed across the gray sky. It rained when he husband died. It rained when her brother died. Tsunade could almost hear the laboured breathing of her little brother as she struggled to heal him. It was pathetic that as a doctor she could not heal her own brother.

It was nothing short of a miracle how she heard the noise over the sound of rain, thunder and wind. The blond woman stood to her feet, snapping her head to the side when she heard it again. "Lady Tsunade, is something the matter?"

"Shizune, did you hear that?" Tsunade asked her right hand. The woman strained her ears to listen to what her mistress could have possibly heard but found nothing.

"I hear nothing." Shizune spoke but Tsunade was adamant. She stepped inside the rain with Shizune holding an umbrella above her head, and walked across the big lawn of her house to the gate where she was sure the noise came from. She frowned at the open gate and stepped outside, looking for the guard on duty only to find him kicking something away.

Tsunade's eyes widened in horror at what she saw. It was a child! Anger graced her features and she stomped up to the man without the umbrella. "You heartless scum!" She yelled enraged and punched the man square in the jaw.

"Who are y-!" The man trailed off when he saw who punched him. "Lady Tsunade! I was just getting rid of the rubbish-!"

"The only rubbish that is going is you! How could you do that to a child?!"

"Milady, you don't understand..."

"YOU'RE FIRED! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT YOU FILTH!" Tsunade hollered and marched over to the boy. The poor child was cold and probably suffering from hypothermia. "You will be okay sweet heart. I will take care of you."

Naruto cracked his heavy eyes open at the warm touch that caressed his cheek. It was a woman's touch. She was so beautiful, could she be an angel? If so, she could save Kurama. "P-please..." Naruto whispered and pointed a weak finger at the fox. "Save Ku-ra-ma." He managed and fell unconscious.

"Shizune! Bring in the fox and prepare my medical tools!" Tsunade ordered. She scooped Naruto gently in her arms and marvelled at his under weight. Her brows met in fury as she took in the green and infected bruises on the boy's half naked form.

Was this shirt the only thing he wore?! Tsunade's eyes watered at the insect bites and visible ribcages but she pushed them back and bathed and treated him. She also treated Kurama while Shizune attended to Naruto. She could see that the fox was important to the boy so she put all her energy in treating them both.

Naruto opened his eyes to a warmth he had never felt before. At first he thought it was Kurama but he could not feel the heaving movement of the fox so he dismissed it. He was in a room and wrapped with warm blankets. Was this heaven? It was warm and soft, a bed. Where was he?

"You're awake." Naruto's eyes turned to see the beautiful angel he had seen in his sleep. The woman's honey brown eyes looked at him with so much warmth, an emotion nobody ever looked at him with.

"Mo-ther?"

Tsunade's heart fluttered at that small declaration. She smiled at the little sunshine and kissed his forehead. "Let's take a bath, shall we?" She asked and smiled widely when he nodded. She carried him to the hot bubble bath that Shizune had prepared and gave him a thorough bath. The golden blond shade of his hair was vibrant as well as his tanned skin. He was such a beautiful child.

Naruto laughed when a bubble popped on his nose which caused Tsunade to laugh also and make more bubbles. It was the first time in years since the deaths of her spouse and brother that she laughed.

After the bath, she clothed him and led him by hand to the dining area. "Kurama." Naruto called. Tsunade's eyes glazed over for a moment but she smiled.

"Eat first and I shall take you to Kurama." She promised. Naruto was shocked at the amount of food at his disposal. He eyed them and Tsunade as if to question if he could really eat it which made Tsunade to smile sadly. What hell did this boy go through?! "Eat, darling." She encouraged.

Naruto ate with vigour which caused Tsunade to smile and shock Shizune who had never seen her mistress smile in years. After the meal, Naruto asked for Kurama again and so Tsunade led him by hand to her back yard. Naruto smiled, expecting to hear his best friend's yips and barks.

The smile dropped when Tsunade stopped at a sand mound. She kneeled beside Naruto and held him close. "I am sorry darling, I could not save Kurama." She said grimly.

No!

No!

Naruto's heart clenched. His best friend was gone forever! He did not survive the gunshot and injuries. Naruto wailed bitterly at the loss of his best, first and only friend.

"KURAMA!!!"

Several years has passed since then. Naruto was now thirteen and a handsome healthy boy. He was adopted by Tsunade who showed him motherly love and care. He had many friends now but could never forget his first friend. Several times like this, he would spend hours at Kurama's grave just looking at the headstone. He could almost hear the contented purr and barks of the fox and could feel the wetness of his tongue on his cheek.

Naruto looked at the sky and smiled. "You are my very best friend, Kurama." He whispered.

A gentle breeze blew through his hair and he felt a rain drop on his cheek. A smile graced his handsome features at the gesture as he was sure that it was Kurama replying him.

 _"_ _You_ _are_ _my_ _very_ _best friend,_ _Kurama_ _."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it and could relate to the story.
> 
> Please leave a kudos and review if you liked it, I really want to hear what you think about it.
> 
> I do not own Naruto or Kurama or Shizune and Tsunade. Only the story is mine.


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